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Post by azvb on May 24, 2011 16:03:02 GMT -5
8 airports and 23 days later, we made it home last night. I about dropped to all fours in the Atlanta airport and kissed the ground. We got out of London just in time - looks like volcanic ash may close the airport. AND, drum roll please, looks like I will be grandma before the day is finished, so timing was perfect.
Most Beautiful City: St. Petersburg
Favorite City: London. If I didn't live in the US, I would live there.
Favorite Airport: London, Heathrow
Worst Airport: St. Petersburg - what a dump.
Best Food: Rome, hands down.
Worst Food: Jerusalem
Friendliest People: Rome
Cleanest City: Kyiv, St. Petersburg
Dirtiest City: Rome, Jerusalem
Favorite thing we did: Segway Tour in Rome. Also, drug my hubby and sons kicking and screaming to "Mamma Mia" in London, but they ended up loving it. Who wouldn't love Abba songs?
Pretty cool to see/hear my sons converse in Ukrainian and Russian. I would have sold them to the highest bidder when they were in their teens, but they've turned into fine young men. I don't think they spoke a complete sentence to each other once they hit puberty, but they are good friends now. Okay, I'm getting sentimental - better stop.
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Post by bigfan on May 29, 2011 16:33:45 GMT -5
How about touring Southern California?
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Post by azvb on May 30, 2011 11:17:25 GMT -5
How about touring Southern California? So Cal is about as far as I will travel for a while. Phoenix + August = San Diego. |
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Post by Mocha on Jun 6, 2011 10:36:33 GMT -5
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Post by azvb on Jun 6, 2011 11:58:47 GMT -5
You know, there are little restaurants on EVERY corner in Rome, not to mention up and down each street. I can't figure out how they stay in business. But Italians take their eating very seriously, and SLOWLY. First they have some wine, then some bread, then they look at the menu, then an appetizer, finally main course, and ALWAYS dessert. If we were ripped off (diluted sauce, dry pasta) it was the most delicious rip off ever. For the whole trip, I was horrible as far as the money goes. It just all looked like Monopoly money to me, so I spent it freely. Plus, to try and figure out a new exchange rate every 3 days, just didn't bother. |
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Post by mikegarrison on Jun 6, 2011 12:33:08 GMT -5
In most places in Europe, tipping is just not part of the expected deal. People pay exact change or maybe just round up to the nearest whole euro. But Americans often feel very guilty if they don't tip, so they pay for the service in the bill and then they tip on top of that.
Europeans, on the other hand, always seem to feel like they are getting ripped off when they leave even a 10% tip on a restaurant bill here in the US. Because for them it feels like some crazy US custom of just giving our money away.
It is best if you can know at least enough food words to have a decent idea of what you are ordering off of the normal menu.
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Post by azvb on Jun 6, 2011 14:22:35 GMT -5
In most places in Europe, tipping is just not part of the expected deal. People pay exact change or maybe just round up to the nearest whole euro. But Americans often feel very guilty if they don't tip, so they pay for the service in the bill and then they tip on top of that. Europeans, on the other hand, always seem to feel like they are getting ripped off when they leave even a 10% tip on a restaurant bill here in the US. Because for them it feels like some crazy US custom of just giving our money away. It is best if you can know at least enough food words to have a decent idea of what you are ordering off of the normal menu. My sons told us not to tip in Ukraine and Russia. We weren't sure in Rome and London, so we tipped. We did in Israel, too. I let my sons order for me in Ukraine and Russia - no way could I even know food words. What a crazy language. |
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Post by Phaedrus on Jun 6, 2011 15:25:09 GMT -5
In most places in Europe, tipping is just not part of the expected deal. People pay exact change or maybe just round up to the nearest whole euro. But Americans often feel very guilty if they don't tip, so they pay for the service in the bill and then they tip on top of that. Europeans, on the other hand, always seem to feel like they are getting ripped off when they leave even a 10% tip on a restaurant bill here in the US. Because for them it feels like some crazy US custom of just giving our money away. It is best if you can know at least enough food words to have a decent idea of what you are ordering off of the normal menu. My sons told us not to tip in Ukraine and Russia. We weren't sure in Rome and London, so we tipped. We did in Israel, too. I let my sons order for me in Ukraine and Russia - no way could I even know food words. What a crazy language. I just had a flashback to Chevy Chase and Beverly D'angelo in European Vacation, eating frozen dinners in Paris. |
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Post by pedro el leon on Jun 7, 2011 0:16:26 GMT -5
Because for them it feels like some crazy US custom of just giving our money away. Not that they complain, they spent the entire 20th century taking our money handouts (and lives) w/o giving anything in return. |
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Post by Phaedrus on Jun 7, 2011 7:14:54 GMT -5
Because for them it feels like some crazy US custom of just giving our money away. Not that they complain, they spent the entire 20th century taking our money handouts (and lives) w/o giving anything in return. And this is relevant to the discussion, how? |
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Post by pedro el leon on Jun 7, 2011 23:23:52 GMT -5
Not that they complain, they spent the entire 20th century taking our money handouts (and lives) w/o giving anything in return. And this is relevant to the discussion, how? Marginally connected, but true none the less. |
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Post by mikegarrison on Jun 8, 2011 0:35:58 GMT -5
And this is relevant to the discussion, how? Marginally connected, but true none the less. I grew up when people were convinced that a third world war with the Soviets was inevitable. And yet.... Maybe spending all that money rebuilding Western Europe was a good investment, eh? |
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Post by Phaedrus on Jun 8, 2011 6:57:56 GMT -5
And this is relevant to the discussion, how? Marginally connected, but true none the less. This is slowly creeping towards the political. But I will just point out that plenty of Europeans have given up their lives for world causes. Generalities may sound great but they are anything but truthful. |
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Post by azvb on Jun 8, 2011 11:06:28 GMT -5
We went to a WWII museum in Ukraine. So interesting seeing the war from their perspective. If Hitler had left the Soviet's alone, he would have won the war.
Also went to the Churchill's underground war room in London. I spent 6 hours there. I can't get enough of WWII history.
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Post by mikegarrison on Jun 8, 2011 12:36:08 GMT -5
We went to a WWII museum in Ukraine. So interesting seeing the war from their perspective. If Hitler had left the Soviet's alone, he would have won the war. Maybe. But it's a reasonable guess. It all started going bad for them when they decided to invade Russia instead of invading England. |
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